Zebo set for Lions blooding

Simon Zebo watched his new British & Irish Lions team-mates in action for the first time yesterday, with head coach Warren Gatland suggesting the Corkman could pull on a red jersey as early as Saturday.

Zebo, 23, arrived in Australia hours before the Lions’ fourth game of their 2013 tour against Combined Country in Newcastle. The Munster wing had played in Ireland’s narrow Test win over the US Eagles in Houston on Saturday before receiving a call to join the squad as cover for the injured Tommy Bowe, who fractured a bone in his hand during the Lions’ win over the Queensland Reds on Saturday.

The tourists have just two games before the first Test against Australia on June 22, against the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday and the Brumbies in Canberra the following Tuesday. Bowe is ruled out of all three of those games, handing Zebo an opportunity, although Gatland said Ulster and Ireland wing Bowe may return as early as the second Test in Melbourne on June 29.

“There’s a good chance that (Zebo) might be involved in the next two games,” Gatland said. “Tommy’s hopeful of being fit and available for the second Test so now that Simon’s here we’ll try and involve him at some stage.”

Brian O’Driscoll raised alarm bells during yesterday’s 64-0 win when he limped gingerly away from an awkward landing in the second half against Combined Country, but insisted it wasn’t any concern.

“It’s fine,” O’Driscoll said. “I just did the splits trying to keep a ball in play and, no, it’s grand. There was a bit of fatigue involved and when legs go in directions they’re not meant to, you get little tweaks here and there but it’s nothing serious.”